STUFFED Potatoes, mmmm

I called my brother today and said "Rich are you coming over for dinner tonight?" and he of course said "yeah" and I followed up with "is there anything in particular that your taste buds desire" and before even taking a breathe he said "Oh Yeah!! a Big stuffed potato with all the works." I thought about it for a second and thought when WAS the last time we made these bad boys? and I realized it has been a looooong time, so I agreed and got all the fixing's ready and he brought the potatoes. Now... you may be wondering ummm hello how hard is it to stuff a potato and that is not why this is up here, it is posted because I really didn't know how exactly to COOK a baked potato so it had a nice crispy outside and soft on the inside. Sooo, here is what I found and it worked and it was DELICIOUS!!! Oh my goodness so damn satisfying and Derek made his famous cube steaks which were a great accompaniment.

Baking a potato:

• While Russet Potatoes are the most popular type of potato for baking (because of their flaky texture), almost any type of potato will do.

• As with most cooking, the cleanliness of your produce is extremely important. Potatoes are no different, as they can acquire a good amount of dirt and debris in their travels from the farm to your dinner plate.

1. Start by running your potatoes under cold water until the entire surface is wet.
2. Scrub the outside skins of the potatoes thoroughly (either with your hand or a stiff bristled brush).
3. Set your potatoes aside on a paper towel to dry.

• Now that your potato is clean and washed, it's time to get it ready for baking. Here's how:

1. Start by poking each potato with a fork 5 or 6 times. This will make it easier for heat to bake the inside of the potato. Try to make sure that the holes are evenly spaced around the potato to make for even baking.
2. Rub a small amount of Olive Oil on the outside of each of your potatoes. You can use a small bowl to hold the oil, or just pour it on the potato and rub it in with your hands.
3. Sprinkle the salt lightly over each of the potatoes. Flip them over to make sure you get the bottoms of each.

• Alright, once you've got all those steps done, you are ready to start baking your potatoes.

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place your baking tray on the center rack of your oven.
3. Let your potatoes bake for about 45 minutes.
4. After that time take the potatoes out of the oven and test to make sure they are done. Using an oven mitt, gently squeeze one of the potatoes to see if they are tender and ready (if done, they should give in easily to your squeeze).
5. If the potatoes are still hard, put them back in the oven for an additional 15 minutes. Repeat until they are done.
6. When they are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

When stuffing the potato we opened up pretty wide, put the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese in along with some broccoli florets, popped them back in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese, then topped it with the bacon and sour cream and chives. Of course use any topping you would prefer and enjoy!!!!